Results tagged “bishopharryjackson”

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today rejected an initiative petition on the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia. The petition was filed by an anti-same-sex marriage coalition led by Bishop Harry Jackson.

The D.C. area's most vocal gay marriage opponent, Maryland's Bishop Harry Jackson, spoke to a crowd of social conservatives over the weekend at the annual Values Voter Summit, a convention that serves as a 'merger of mainstream Republican Party rhetoric and the priorities of "Christian right" activists.' Video of Jackson's speech is posted above, courtesy YouTube.

The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics released the petition documents today of those individuals who filed initiative measure applications for the so-called "Marriage Initiative of 2009." This is the petition put together by a group of D.C. area Baptist ministers, led by the outspoken Bishop Harry Jackson, who are seeking to put the question of whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the District up for a popular vote. Applicants for initiative measures to the BOEE are required to provide proof of D.C. residence, and the papers indicate that Jackson now claims to reside at 1100 First Street SE, Apt. 1310. That's the Onyx on First luxury apartment building, right by the Navy Yard Metro station and not far from Nationals Park.

As expected, Bishop Harry Jackson filed his petition with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics today to request a ballot initiative on legalizing same-sex marriage in the District. It's a move designed to preempt legislative action from the D.C. Council on the issue later this year (At-large councilmember David Catania has promised to introduce such a bill this fall), with Jackson betting on a redux of California's Prop 8. Perhaps more surprising, however, is that the Archdiocese of Washington has also gotten involved in the movement, although without officially joining Jackson's Stand4MarriageDC coalition. The Post reports that Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl also submitted a letter to the elections board today calling for a referendum. Via Tim Craig:

"It is ironic that at the same time the city is asking for voting representation in the U.S. Congress, its leaders are denying residents the opportunity to participate in the Democratic process for an issue with widespread implications for children and families," Ronald Jackson, executive director of the D.C. Catholic Conference, said in a statement.

Apparently we don't rate the press distribution list of quixotic anti-same-sex marriage obsessive Bishop Harry Jackson, as we had to find out from D.C. Wire today that he has put out a new statement about his intentions of trying to get a gay marriage initiative on the ballot for a second time. This time around, Jackson is reportedly going for the full monty: an initiative that would give District residents the opportunity to vote on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the District. Previously, the Maryland minister tried to put the question of whether the District should recognize same-sex marriages performed legally elsewhere up for a popular vote, but the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics ruled that he could not. Who wants to bet the board won't see much of a difference between this request and the previous one?

Head over to City Desk if you'd like to download a pdf copy of Judge Judith Retchin's Superior Court decision from earlier today, in which she ruled against the request of petitioners Bishop Harry Jackson et al. to put a halt to the D.C. Council's same sex marriage recognition law. Not only did Retchin rule that stopping the clock on the legislation, which is set to take effect next week, was not warranted, she went so far as to rule more broadly that the landmark 1995 Dean v. District decision does not apply to this case. Here's the key passage: "The Court in Dean did not consider whether the government could refuse to recognize the legal right of persons to remain married solely because of their sexual orientation. In fact, the Court in Dean could not have addressed this issue because when Dean was decided in 1995, no state had legalized same-sex marriage." We expect Jackson and his anti-gay marriage crusaders to head straight over to the D.C. Court of Appeals.

We knew to expect it, and now D.C. Wire is reporting that Bishop Harry Jackson, Rev. Walter Fauntroy, and their collective of gay marriage opponents did indeed file papers at D.C. Superior Court this morning to appeal the recent BOEE ruling that a city-wide referendum on same sex marriage recognition would violate the Human Rights Act, and is therefore not allowed. 'In a statement, Fauntroy called the election board's decision, ''an insult to every voter in the District of Columbia and must be legally challenged as we are doing today.''' Unless the court intervenes, the marriage recognition law recently passed by the D.C. Council will become law in July.

Groups including Bilerico D.C., The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club and The Log Cabin Republicans of Metro D.C. sponsored a community forum on gay marriage and the faith community Wednesday night at All Souls Church in Adams Morgan. The panel featured Episcopal priest Rev. Monique Ellison, D.C. For Marriage Chair Michael Crawford and ACLU attorney Sharon McGowan.

    

Ward 8 D.C. Council member and former mayor Marion Barry today said that he opposes a measure that would allow the District of Columbia to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal. Barry made his remarks to a crowd of around 150 gathered to protest the legislation in Freedom Plaza this morning.